You can spend your next 10 years taking notes on the many flavor profiles of tequila and mezcal at large, but joining a tequila subscription club might be your best opportunity to discover, learn, and enjoy the spirit. Here are the top tequila subscriptions for every budget and lifestyle.
Best Tequila Subscriptions of 2022
Best Overall: Taster’s Club Best for Gifting: Mash&Grape Best Practices: Maguey Melate Best Variety: Flaviar Best Splurge: Spirited Gifts
ProsRewarding for both connoisseurs and newbiesShipping included in priceGreat accompanying materialsFull-sized bottles ConsShipments are not pre-announcedUnclear which distilleries are partnersAdditional bottles are not discounted Taster’s Club is our best overall recommendation for a simple reason: It delivers a full-sized bottle of tequila (or occasionally another mezcal) to your door every month at a good price and with a strong focus on lesser-known distilleries and hard-to-find bottles. Past featured brands include Tequila ArteNOM Selección, Ayate Tequila, Centinela, Tequila Revolución, and more. Consider the informative, contextualizing tasting notes that accompany each shipment, and you have an experience as ideal for the novice as the old hand. The two membership levels center around the learning experience, with a great deal of information on the production, flavor profiles, and general sense of each bottle. The Tequila Club starts at $54 per month and gets right to it with interesting, unexpected choices. The Pro Club starting at $84 per month, comes through with even harder-to-find bottles. All memberships, whether gifted or direct, are available in three-, six-, or 12-month durations, and may all be canceled at any time without penalty. Shipping is included. ProsImpressive curationShips to most statesGreat in-house marketplaceDetailed tasting notes ConsThree-month subscription minimumFurther purchases aren’t discounted Our choice for best gift subscription, Mash&Grape delivers a perfectly balanced blend of must-have standards and relative unknowns that would be a delight to see on any doorstep. Three membership options are available: three, six, or 12 months. All amount to $54 per month but payment is due upfront. The company ships full-sized bottles around the 15th of each month. Each expertly selected bottle is accompanied by detailed tasting notes and stories on the small distillers and independent bottlers they source from, including Tequila Partida Reposado, 120 Organic Uno Blanco, and Hussong’s Reposado. All options are prepaid and shipping is included. ProsEmphasis on sustainabilityGreat materials and resources on history, characterHard-to-find and covetable spiritsExcellent shipping ConsDelivery frequency could be greaterSubscriptions may not be paused Maguey Melate’s mission-driven approach to supporting artisanal mezcal amounts to more than best practices and virtuous sustainability—the result is some of the highest quality and representative bottlings you could find on any market. Its own concerns for environmental and health impacts along with fair treatment make for a club you can trust implicitly for both the greater good and by the glass, with best-in-class examples of the spirit. Each $120 bimonthly subscription showcases individual producers with deliveries of two 375ml bottles, each spotlighting a featured agave varietal and a mezcalero (who does the distilling). Educational materials go deep into the history and production of each bottle. Shipping is included with all subscriptions and extends to the contiguous U.S. All purchases help fund the replanting of agave through local sustainability projects. It’s a win-win. ProsShipments include tequila and mezcal“Flavor spiral” puts each spirit in contextAccess to online shop with 15,000+ spirits ConsOnly one-time and quarterly shipmentsSamples could be larger Flaviar gets our nod for best for variety not solely for its inclusion of other mezcals than tequila, but for the sheer diversity of tastes you receive with each box. With the highest tier annual subscription ($349), you’ll receive a box with three 1.5-ounce samples and one full-sized bottle every quarter. The latter allows you to go deep, while the tasters light up your palate and interests with tiny windows into other dimensions of the spirit. Flaviar’s other memberships send you two bottles of your choice ($159 per year), or four tasting boxes ($279 per year), and extend the same membership perks: access to live events, a tasting log, and personalized recommendations. You can choose from themes like Up In Smoke, Mezcalistas, Flaviar Awards 2020: Outta Sight Spirits (a mixed bag of various spirits that includes an artisanal Mezcal), and more. Flaviar ships to half of the U.S. as well as Europe. ProsGreat all-around tequila educationVariety of aging typesBottle engraving is available ConsExpensiveOnly ships to 29 states Spirited Gifts’ tequila subscription is most definitely a splurge, though this might make it one of the best and most generous gifts. At $249 for a three-month subscription, members receive one full-sized bottle every month, each of a different aging. Where silver tequila, also known as blanco, is aged for a short time (if at all), reposado is rested anywhere from two months to a year in wood casks, and añejo at least a year. Playing to its name and reputation for delivering top-shelf gifts, bottle engraving is also available, as are other themed treats, from mini bottles to gift baskets. All make for a unique experience or introduction to tequila.
How Do Tequila Subscription Boxes Work?
Tequila subscriptions are membership-based services that deliver different bottles of mezcal—sometimes specifically and exclusively tequila—to your door every month or quarter. Some bill on a monthly basis, others upfront or only quarterly, but nearly all of these clubs allow for easy cancellation with no additional fees. Shipping costs are usually included, and discounts on bottles you’d like to purchase are typically available.
Who Are Tequila Subscriptions Best For?
Unlike most spirit clubs, tequila subscriptions are just as ideal for the tequila beginner as they are for the enthusiast. Even subscriptions ostensibly designed as gifts for beginners curate great collections of lesser-known, hard-to-find, and truly characteristic bottlings. The experienced are guaranteed to learn of many new producers, while those new to the spirit will be amazed by how much nuance there can be.
How Much Do Tequila Subscriptions Cost?
While some bill monthly and others bimonthly or quarterly, membership prices work out to anywhere from $32 to $83 per month, based on our research. Nearly all subscriptions offer discounts for three-, six-, and 12-month commitments, and all of those we’ve seen allow for penalty-free cancellation at any time.
Methodology
Pouring over every subscription service we could find, we considered the curation, prices, and value of the memberships. After seriously considering nine different clubs, our goal was to identify subscriptions that brought unique value.
